


Life Itself

by kihyukie



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Friends to Lovers, M/M, OT3, Polyamory, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-02 07:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13313721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kihyukie/pseuds/kihyukie
Summary: From the outside, the little shop looked warm and inviting and made Changkyun wonder why he had never been inside before. The sign above the door read Yooki’s Cafe, the lettering a faded green. It was in that moment that he decided a little caffeine wouldn’t hurt. After all, he did have two papers to finish. A bell rang from somewhere above as Changkyun pushed the door open and a warm draft of air hit his face...."Just don’t go falling in love with the both of them then.” Changkyun’s mind was already a mile away. Jooheon was right. It couldn’t end well.





	1. 1

His first week of classes had just come to an end and Changkyun was already wiped out. Already he had not one, but two, assignments due. He wondered if his teachers got off on half-assed papers made in a rush while students attempted to settle into the school routine once again. 

The walk back to his apartment — which was located slightly off campus — was fairly short, but he took his time. There was no real rush to get back and he wanted to spend a little more time outside in the nice weather. Soon enough winter would hit and he would go back to being a hermit, so he figured the warm weather should be appreciated as long as it was there. 

The street on his route home was fairly quiet, just a couple odd shops located along it, with a park dividing them in the middle. So when Changkyun passed a little cafe he didn’t remember seeing around last year, his curiosity immediately spiked. 

From the outside, the little shop looked warm and inviting and made Changkyun wonder why he had never been inside before. The sign above the door read  _ Yooki’s Cafe _ , the lettering a faded green. It was in that moment that he decided a little caffeine wouldn’t hurt. After all, he did have two papers to finish. A bell rang from somewhere above as Changkyun pushed the door open and a warm draft of air hit his face. 

The first thing he noticed was the aroma of coffee mixed with the sweetness of freshly baked cookies to even it out. Sure enough the window of the front counter showed off various types of cookies, mini pies, banana bread and even pretzels. Changkyun’s stomach growled. 

The second thing to catch his attention was the boy standing behind the counter. He was quite possibly the most beautiful person Changkyun had ever laid his eyes on. Changkyun wasn’t a believer of love at first sight, but then again he had never met someone this gorgeous before.

The man had dark brown, nearly black hair that shone in the light as he moved to help a customer at the till. It was choppy and styled in a three quarter part that fell just above his eyes. If Changkyun had to guess, the man was probably an inch or two taller than him — which wasn’t too hard since Changkyun was a little on the shorter side. He had long slender fingers that were noticeable when he passed back change to the woman standing in front of him. 

And his smile. Changkyun could have sworn the entire room lit up when the man smiled farewell to his customer. It took a second for his heart to slow back down after witnessing such an event. 

It wasn’t until the woman passed Changkyun to leave did the brown haired boy realize he had another customer. His eyes met Changkyun’s and his face broke out into another bright smile. 

“Hi!” He said energetically, waving from his place behind the counter.  _ Cute,  _ Changkyun thought, his heart beating a wild pattern. 

Changkyun nodded a greeting, not quite trusting his voice, and made his way closer to the counter so he could read the menu. The man was somehow even more beautiful close up — he left Changkyun breathless.  _ I came here for coffee, not to look at cute boys, _ Changkyun reminded himself.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before, I’m Minhyuk. What can I get you?” From this distance Changkyun could finally see the colour of Minhyuk’s eyes, which were nearly dark enough to match his hair. They were bright and held a certain amount of life in them, which only confirmed Changkyun’s theory that Minhyuk was indeed not a university student. 

“Oh, it’s my first time here...what would you recommend?” Changkyun cursed himself as he realized he forgot to introduce himself too, but really as a customer he didn’t think he was obligated too. For some reason though, he wanted to hear Minhyuk say his name. He didn’t get a chance to offer it though before Minhyuk launched into his speech. 

“Well if you’re looking for something to drink my specialty is probably the cappuccino, but I’ve also been known to make a mean mocha if you want something a bit sweeter. If you want any of the baked goods I’d definitely go for the double chocolate chunk cookie, it’s heaven. Unless of course you’re some monster who hates chocolate, in which case I’d recommend you try the cherry pie.” Minhyuk paused for a second to take a breath. “Oh, sorry, I was rambling again.” Changkyun laughed, Minhyuk seemed to have a lot to say, but at least he was cute. “I hope you found at least some of that helpful,” he said a little sheepish.  

Changkyun stood there for a moment longer before speaking up, “I just need something with a lot of caffeine, so surprise me and I’ll take one of those cookies I guess.” 

“One americano coming right up then!” Minhyuk smiled again and turned to get the drink started. “So are you a student here?” He asked, his back to the till.

“Yeah, I’m a composition major,” Changkyun said, digging in his back pocket to grab his wallet and pull out a bill to have ready when Minhyuk rang up the total. Minhyuk gave an appreciative hum and returned to the register with the coffee and cookie in hand.

He was all smiles again when he announced the total. Changkyun wondered if his cheeks ever hurt from smiling so much. Minhyuk must have seen the confused look on Changkyun’s face when things didn’t add up since he offered, “The cookie is on the house, don’t worry about it.” 

“O-oh.” Changkyun was still slightly confused, but he had a feeling if he tried to fight Minhyuk on the fact he would only lose. “Thank you,” he added, almost forgetting his manners. 

“Of course, it’s not every day a cute boy visits my shop,” Minhyuk said followed by an honest to god wink. Or at least that’s what Changkyun thought he was trying to do. Blood rushed to his cheeks and he coughed awkwardly. He turned quickly so Minhyuk wouldn't see and made his way towards the door. 

Normally he might have stayed, but it was quite busy inside and he wasn’t sure he would find a place to sit. Plus after being surrounded by people in class all day, he was ready for a break. It didn’t help Minhyuk was seriously gorgeous and he didn’t trust himself to keep his embarrassing comments to himself if he stayed any longer. 

He could hear Minhyuk call out a goodbye as the bell on the door rang again and soon enough he was back on his usual route home. 

 

Over the next week it became a habit for Changkyun to stop in at the cafe on his way home. He would be lying if he said he didn’t want an excuse to see Minhyuk again, but who could blame him. Originally, he hadn’t been planning to come back since he figured Minhyuk was just that nice to everyone (which as Changkyun quickly learnt, he was), so there was no need for him to get attached to the attractive man. Plus he never introduced himself, so there was no reason for Minhyuk to expect him to come back — other than the fact that the cafe was located minutes from campus and he was a university student who needed his caffeine fix. 

But after not shutting up for the whole weekend about just how gorgeous Minhyuk was, Jooheon had all but forced him to go back. He had even went as far to threaten calling the cafe to talk to Minhyuk himself. 

Making sure to actually introduce himself the next time, Changkyun’s suspicion was confirmed. His name sounded best when Minhyuk said it. His pronunciation was smooth and it slipped off his tongue in the most satisfying way. Conversation between the two flowed easily and even with his seemingly boundless energy, being around Minhyuk was oddly calming. 

Changkyun quickly learnt that if he timed it right between his classes there was a period where the cafe was pretty much dead and he got Minhyuk all to himself. Which, he admitted was selfish, but Minhyuk was the one to come sit at his table the first time. So really, he only encouraged the behaviour. 

Currently, Minhyuk was seated across from him working on devouring a mini cherry pie he insisted they should share since Changkyun had yet to try it. It was every bit as good as it looked (and as Minhyuk gave it credit). The crust had the perfect amount of crumble to it and the cherry filling was sweet, yet tart. Changkyun had practically moaned when he took the first bite before he remembered he was in public and his face turned red. Minhyuk hadn’t seemed to notice thankfully. 

So far, Changkyun had discovered that Minhyuk was a business major (he graduated last year) and had opened the cafe only a couple weeks prior to the start of the semester. Which cleared up the question as to why Changkyun had never noticed it before. 

“So, if your Minhyuk, then who’s Yooki?” Changkyun asked from between bites of the pie. He was curious as to who the cafe was named after — if it even was a  _ someone _ . 

Minhyuk seemed to hesitate for a moment, “It’s ah..I never told you this but it’s a nickname for Yoo Kihyun, my business partner.” The way he said partner made Changkyun think there might have been another meaning to it but Minhyuk was already carrying on, leaving no time for his thoughts to dwell. “He’s the resident, and only might I add, baker here. He’s probably napping since he has to wake up really early to have everything ready for opening, but he’s usually here around closing if you ever wanted to stop by and meet him.” 

“Maybe I will. That way I can tell him in person that he’s made the best cherry pie I’ve ever tasted in my short mortal life.”

Minhyuk laughed and it sounded the way the sky looked right before the sun set — as bright and beautiful as the man it had come from. Changkyun decided he would do anything just to hear it again. “I’m sure he would like that. Just don’t lay it on too thick, his ego doesn’t need to be any bigger than it already is.”

Now it was Changkyun’s turn to laugh. He had heard little about the baker from Minhyuk but he already sounded like he was a rather interesting person. “It’s a deal then.” He started to clean up the table and brought the plate back to the counter. The timing was perfect as a group of university students showed up, drawing Minhyuk back to his position behind the counter. 

“See you later then and thank you for the pie!” Changkyun waved to Minhyuk on his way out of the door and was met with a blinding smile in response. Minhyuk’s smile was easily becoming one of his favorite things. 

Class seemed to drag on forever, but eventually Changkyun found himself headed to the library in order to study and kill some time before going to meet up with Minhyuk and Kihyun. He made sure to send a quick text to Jooheon letting him know he’d be a bit later than normal, but hadn’t forgotten about their movie night. Before long, it was time to pack up and Changkyun headed on his way to the cafe. 

For some reason he was anxious about the idea of meeting Kihyun; he felt there was a need to make a good first impression. Instead, he just reminded himself Minhyuk would be there and although they hadn’t known each other for long, he considered Minhyuk a friend and knew he wouldn’t let anything go wrong. (Yet the butterflies in his stomach didn’t let up).

The cafe appeared closed closed as he approached. All the lights inside were off, but when he tried the door it was still unlocked, so he let himself in. 

“Hello?” He called out not seeing anyone inside. “Minhyuk?”

“Hey!” Minhyuk popped out from what was presumably the door to the kitchen, nearly giving Changkyun a heart attack. His loud voice seemed to echo through the empty room. “Come on in, you get the rare opportunity to see the wild Kihyun in his local habitat.” 

If there was one thing Minhyuk was good at (aside from looking like a literal god), it was making Changkyun laugh. He was always so goofy and energetic.  _ Sort of like a puppy, _ Changkyun thought to himself, smiling. Hesitating for a moment, he slipped behind the counter and followed Minhyuk through the door into the kitchen. 

He wasn’t too sure what he had imagined Kihyun to look like, but the man in front of him was definitely not what he was expecting.

Kihyun was about eye height, or if anything, even a bit shorter than Changkyun. His eyes were the same dark honey colour as Minhyuk’s and gave off the same amount of warmth. His lips were full and bright pink. Changkyun hoped it wasn’t obvious how long his gaze had lingered on them.

The most surprising part has to be his hair. It was pink. By the looks of it, it was dyed a while ago and the colour had washed out to a more muted tone. It was messy, presumably from his nap and Changkyun had the worst urge to run his hands through and fix it. His fists clenched were they were hanging at his side.

Beside him stood Minhyuk, hands on his hips, as if he were a proud fisherman showing off his latest catch. “Kihyun, this is Changkyun. Changkyun, Kihyun.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Changkyun said offering his hand. Kihyun took it and Changkyun realized just how small and soft his hands were. He ducked his head and tried to hide the blush that rose to his cheeks, betraying him. This was not happening. He was not going to get a crush on the baker too. Having one on Minhyuk was more than enough to handle. 

“I heard you’ve been keeping Minhyuk company lately, I hope you haven’t been distracting him from his work, he gets distracted enough as it is,” Kihyun said. Even though his tone was a little harsh Changkyun decided that Kihyun’s voice was his favorite sound. Maybe only second to Minhyuk’s laugh. 

“O-of course not.”

Kihyun’s face broke out in a smile and he laughed, “I’m just kidding. With you here there’s less of a chance of him getting bored and texting me, so it’s a win for us all.” 

Minhyuk attempted to elbow him from where he stood, but Kihyun easily leaned out of the way. Changkyun assumed this banter must be normal since Minhyuk didn’t seem to be bothered by any of the comments aimed about him. There was no venom behind their voices. 

“So, Minhyuk told me you’re a composition major?” 

“Yeah. I’m in my final year—”

“Will you play us something you’ve written?” Minhyuk interrupted, leaning forward slightly into Changkyun’s personal space. 

“Ah...maybe another time?” Changkyun backed away unconsciously towards the door and tried again to hide his embarrassment. In no way was he ashamed of his music, but he generally didn’t share it with anyone, especially people that he had only met a week ago. It was too personal.

“Sweet. I can’t wait to hear it!” Now that Minhyuk was excited about it, he felt he was inclined to share, in order to not let the man down. A disappointed Minhyuk was not something he wanted to see. Although Kihyun didn’t say anything, the way his eyes lit up at the mention of hearing something Changkyun had made, Changkyun knew he was interested too. 

The conversation came to a natural lull and a couple seconds later Kihyun shuffled off mumbling about having to prepare one more thing before the morning. Minhyuk took the opportunity and moved to stand next to Changkyun. Clearing his throat, Minhyuk spoke up, “We’re going to grab a bite to eat after Kihyun is done here. If you want to tag along, you’re more than welcome.”

The proposition caught Changkyun off guard and he panicked for a moment. On one hand he really wanted to accept. Any time spent around Minhyuk was time well spent and he was interested in getting to know Kihyun better. But he had already delayed his movie night with Jooheon enough. Even though they could easily move it to another day, he would feel guilty. 

“Ah, maybe another time, sorry. I already have plans with my roommate.”

Something like disappointment flickered across Minhyuk’s face before it was replaced just as quickly with a smile. “Don’t worry about it! We go out pretty often and you’re always welcome to join. If you have to go to meet up with your roommate don’t let us keep you. Kihyun! Come say bye to Changkyun!” Minhyuk hollered even though Kihyun was only on the other side of the room and likely overheard the whole conversation. 

“It was nice finally meeting you, Changkyun. Minhyuk talks non-stop about you,” Kihyun said once he was back across the room. 

“Nice meeting you too and oh! You must be a wizard or something, that cherry pie was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

Kihyun threw his head back and laughed at the same time Minhyuk hissed, “Kyun I thought I told you to not lay it on too heavily! His ego is big enough.” Changkyun pretended he didn’t hear the nickname. He pretended he didn’t like it as much as he did. 

“I like you, Changkyun. You’re welcome around here anytime you please.” 

Changkyun bid his final goodbye and quickly left on his way back to his apartment.

 

He could hear the television on when he opened the door and sure enough when he walked down the hall Jooheon was already on the couch, a half empty pizza box in front of him. 

“Dude, I thought they killed you or something. I was gonna have to get the police to track your phone,” Jooheon said muting the tv so he wouldn't have to yell over it. 

Changkyun smiled sheepishly as he dropped his bag near the entrance to the hall and moved to join Jooheon on the couch. Already, Jooheon was in the process of finding the latest sci-fi movie on netflix. Usually they would scroll through the options until finding something they agreed on. Which was harder than it sounded; half the time they ended up rewatching episodes of  _ The Office.  _

“Sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention to the time. You’d be glad to know I turned down an offer to go out to eat because of my busy social life,” he placed an emphasis on the last three words. 

Jooheon chuckled, “Oh the things you would do for your best friend.” He slouched down on the couch until his head was able to rest comfortably on Changkyun’s shoulder. “I’m glad though. School’s been so busy even though we live together, I feel like I barely see you. Plus all that time you’ve been spending with that new crush of yours.”

Changkyun could feel himself blush, he was thankful Jooheon was busy looking at the television. “I do not have a crush on Minhyuk,” he argued, but even Changkyun could tell he didn’t sound confident. Jooheon huffed, but surprisingly didn’t comment. 

Sure Minhyuk might have been the most breathtaking person Changkyun had ever seen, but that didn’t mean he had a crush on him. In fact, Changkyun had always thought it was shallow to have a crush on someone due to their looks alone. So, it didn’t help that Minhyuk’s sunny personality matched his smile and how he laughed at all of Changkyun jokes, even the ones he  _ knew _ weren’t funny. It didn’t help that whenever they spoke, Minhyuk was careful to give Changkyun his full attention, making sure to show he was listening and asking questions when appropriate. It didn’t help that Changkyun felt he clicked faster with Minhyuk than anyone else before (which, frankly,  _ terrified _ him). 

So maybe he did have a bit of a crush on Minhyuk. 

“It doesn’t matter, I’m pretty sure he already has a boyfriend.”

“And why would you think that? I thought you mentioned he was flirting with you the first day?” Jooheon questioned. 

“I think he’s just that nice to everyone.”  _ Even if he called me cute _ , Changkyun thought. “When he first mentioned how Kihyun was his business partner, the way he sorta emphasized partner made me think it had more than just that meaning. Plus, even if they bickered the whole time tonight it just seemed so familiar to them, y’know? Like they’ve been through it a million times. It doesn’t make sense they would own a business together if they seriously fought like that all the time. You didn’t see the way they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn’t paying attention,” Changkyun said, the last part barely above a whisper. 

It was true though. Changkyun had never witnessed a look that full of love and adoration —not even between his own happily married parents. He was shocked that rainbows and puppies hadn’t come from their looks aimed at each other when they thought the other wasn’t paying attention, it was honestly a little overwhelming. If he had any doubt they weren’t together, it was diminished after seeing them together tonight. 

“If you say so. Just don’t go falling in love with the both of them then.” Jooheon pressed play on the movie, but Changkyun’s mind was already a mile away. Jooheon was right. It couldn’t end well. 

 

As the days passed, Changkyun found himself frequenting the cafe more often than not. Some days he would even stop by before class, using his lack of sleep as an excuse to get coffee; which was really just an excuse to see Minhyuk. Eventually, Minhyuk had asked to exchange numbers. “That way you can just text me when you’re like two minutes away and I can have your drink ready for you,” he had explained. 

Soon enough texting daily became a habit between them. At first, Changkyun had felt awkward texting Minhyuk about anything other than his two minute warning. He was never been the best at conversations and found them at least slightly easier in person, but texting Minhyuk was surprisingly easy. 

Changkyun would send Minhyuk pictures of any cute dogs whenever he spotted one outside and Minhyuk would freak out for a solid five minutes each time. In return, Minhyuk would send pictures of things he managed to stack and balance when things were slow at the cafe. His record was currently at fifteen creamers atop 3 napkin dispensers. 

One day, Minhyuk even texted to ask Changkyun if he could plan coming a bit later since there was still a rush and they wouldn’t be able to have their usual talk if he showed up at his usual time. Of course, Changkyun had agreed and sure enough the cafe was almost empty when he got there. The habits of people were strange. 

“What superpower would you want if you could have one?” Minhyuk had asked while they sat around the table, Changkyun nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie. At first the question had caught him off guard, they weren’t even talking about superheroes. The conversation had been on horror movies — which Changkyun happened to love and Minhyuk tended to avoid.

“Why?”

“Just curious. Mine would be healing,” Minhyuk offered.

“Invisibility maybe?”

Minhyuk hummed and leaned back in his chair. “Interesting.”

Changkyun rolled his eyes at Minhyuk’s reaction. “Did I choose the wrong answer?”

“There’s no wrong answer. It’s a psychological question they usually ask at interviews to gage if you’re right for the job. Wanting the power of invisibility can mean you're quiet and not really out there, so if you were applying to a customer service job, you probably would have already lost it.”

“Thats dumb.” Minhyuk snorted at Changkyun’s honesty. “What does it mean if you want to be a healer then?” Changkyun asked. 

“Easy. It shows that I'm caring and value helping others.” 

Now it was Changkyun’s turn to laugh, “It might also show you’re self absorbed and only care about your own health and wellbeing.”

“Hey! My ego!” Minhyuk scowled, placing a hand over his heart, faking offence. 

“I’m sorry that wasn’t very nice,” Changkyun said, sticking out his tongue, teasing Minhyuk further.

The door chimed cutting short their conversation. Minhyuk stood up and moved to return to the till. “I guess you’ll just have to kiss it better next time then,” he sing-songed while turning around. 

Changkyun choked and quickly looked down to hide how his cheeks turned red. He reprimanded himself for blushing so easily. He also blamed it on Minhyuk for saying something like that so casually. He didn’t even bother saying goodbye before all but running out the door, Minhyuk distracted with customers. 

His crush was starting to get out of hand, but Minhyuk with his beautiful eyes and adorable laugh and flirty comments didn’t help in the least. 

 

Everything had been going extremely well, so Changkyun was more than confused as to why Minhyuk had started avoiding him. At first he wasn’t even sure that was the case, but it had been going on for nearly a week now and Changkyun could no longer come up with any more excuses. 

Minhyuk was most certainly avoiding him. 

Almost immediately he stopped visiting so often in order to give Minhyuk some space, but he still continued to act weird. He took extra care while tending to anyone's order, as if stalling for time. Although he continued to text, his responses grew shorter and shorter until Changkyun gave up on trying to keep up a conversation. The most damning evidence — that assured Changkyun that Minhyuk truly was avoiding him —  was that whenever the cafe was empty instead of coming to sit (as per usual) Minhyuk claimed there was cleaning to be done and disappeared into the kitchen. 

Changkyun wasn’t sure what he had done wrong, but it  _ hurt _ . He missed the easy conversation and Minhyuk laughing at his lame jokes and Minhyuk’s smile and selfishly, having Minhyuk’s attention fully on him. 

He didn’t intend for Minhyuk’s silence to bother him as much as it did, but his stomach was full of knots and it felt like there was someone standing on his chest, making every intake of breath an effort. Mentally, he recalled all their interactions from the past couple of weeks to try and pinpoint where he had misstepped, but nothing stuck out. He had really thought things were going well, which only made the pain in his chest worse. 

Halfway through his first class, his phone buzzed and Minhyuk’s name lit up the screen. A wave of anxiety washed over Changkyun, the familiar feeling landing in his bones. He debated against ignoring the texts, but his curiosity won out.

**Minhyuk:** hey i have a question to ask 

**Minhyuk:** can u stop by after closing?

Changkyun felt his stomach do a somersault and his pulsed raced. Of course, he had no idea of Minhyuk’s intention behind the talk, which put him on edge and he knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate for the rest of class. What if he had done something wrong and Minhyuk wanted him to stop coming from the cafe? He would respect Minhyuk’s wishes of course, no matter the outcome, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be upset. Debating if he should wait until after class or not to reply Changkyun ultimately decided against it and fired a quick reply saying he’d be there.

Sure enough, Changkyun did nothing but panic for the rest of the class and before he knew it his feet were walking the familiar path to Minhyuk’s cafe. The weather was starting to cool off quickly as fall approached, but Changkyun didn’t mind. Sweaters were his go to outfit choice, even if he prefered warmer weather, so really it only benefited him. The trees lining the street were already starting to change colour from green to reds and yellows. Before he knew it and before he was ready the cafe was in front of him. Taking a moment first for a couple of deep breaths Changkyun pushed the door open, the bell announcing his arrival.

“Changkyun!” To his surprise, it was Kihyun calling out his name, not Minhyuk. He waved from the door to the kitchen and Changkyun made his way over to join him. By the time he made it there Minhyuk had appeared beside him, his trademark smile on (even though the nerves, Changkyun felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of it). 

“Hey Kyun, I’m glad you could come,” Minhyuk said. So far he seemed to be acting normal, but Changkyun wasn’t too sure how much of it was an act in front of Kihyun. 

He nodded, not quite sure what to say next. “So you wanted to talk?”

“Oh, actually Kihyunnie here had a question for you.”

“I thought I had asked you to text him to ask?” Kihyun asked, clearly not expecting to be put on the spot. 

“I figured you were a big boy and could do it yourself, so I asked him to come here.”

“Why must you be so difficult?” Kihyun shot an annoyed glare at Minhyuk, but there was barely any malice behind it. “Anyways, Changkyun, I was gonna ask if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight?”

“Oh.” Changkyun let out a sigh of relief,  _ this was all they wanted to talk about? _ “Like at your place?”

“Yeah,” Minhyuk answered. The fact that they lived together didn’t surprise him at all, he had already assumed that was likely the case. “It’s chef Kihyun’s turn to cook so you won’t be getting instant ramen.”

Changkyun was silent for a moment. Mostly he was just trying to judge Minhyuk’s total 180 change of attitude towards him, he wasn’t sure how much of it was an act or if they were back to normal again, just like that. Kihyun would be there, so at least they wouldn't be stuck alone and hopefully things wouldn’t be awkward.

“So?” Kihyun prompted.

“Sure. I’ll have to run home to change real quick and let Jooheon know he’ll be on his own tonight,” Changkyun said.

“Yeah, of course! I’ll text you the address and then you can just come over whenever you’re done,” Minhyuk offered. 

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you guys in a bit I guess,” Changkyun said taking his leave. 

Once he got back to his apartment, he found Jooheon studying in his room. “I’m going over to Minhyuk and Kihyun’s for dinner,” he said, standing in the doorway to Jooheon’s room.

Jooheon looked up from his book a questioning look on his face, “They live together?”

“Well yeah. I already told you, I’m ninety-nine percent sure they’re dating at this point.”

Jooheon wiggled his eyebrows. “The first time you guys are hanging out and you’re going back to their place? Be safe,” he said, clearly trying to get a rise out of his friend. 

It took a moment for the words to sink in before Changkyun turned red and stuttered out, “I-it’s nothing like that.”

“Hey, I’m just saying if the opportunity were to arise, you should probably take it. God knows the last time you got laid,” Jooheon laughed before turning back to his studies. 

“You’re insufferable. I’ll be back later.”

“Or tomorrow,” Jooheon yelled from his room. “Have fun!” 

 

The first thing that stood out to Changkyun when he stepped inside Minhyuk and Kihyun’s apartment were the vast number of plants he saw scattered around. There were two larger pots on either side of the front door, a small bamboo plant on the coffee table in the living room, along with succulents and cacti lining the window sill in the kitchen. 

“It’s very….green in here,” Changkyun commented, trailing Minhyuk through the house. 

“Those would be Kihyun’s plant babies. He’s got a bit of an obsession, if you ask me.”

“I do not,” Kihyun huffed from his spot near the stove. Changkyun couldn’t tell what he was cooking, but it smelled delicious. 

Minhyuk scoffed, “You can’t even try to deny it Kihyunnie. You’ve named them all.”

“Hey!” Kihyun squaked, but indeed, didn’t deny anything. “How about you two go watch tv or something and I’ll come get you when dinner's ready.”

Taking the hint, Minhyuk guided Changkyun back to the living room and plopped himself down on the couch. “Whenever Kihyun is baking or cooking it’s best to just leave him alone. He gets in the zone and doesn’t like distractions. Plus, he’s got a knife so I usually listen to whatever he says,” he explained. 

Changkyun laughed and took a seat on the couch when Minhyuk motioned him over. As he took another look around the room he came to the conclusion that, if anything, the apartment looked well lived in.

The couch was slouched and slightly worn out, but still comfortable when he sat down. There were magazines and books spilling out of the bookshelf that sat next to the television. Old coffee cups and an empty plate covered the coffee table, but Changkyun didn’t mind. His apartment wasn’t looking much better, after all. 

Minhyuk flicked through the channels until it landed on some re-run of a baking contest Changkyun knew he had seen at least once before. 

“So, how’s school going?” Minhyuk asked, shifting slightly to pay attention to both Changkyun and the intense baking that was taking place. 

“Tiring. I have like three papers due all within the next two weeks, but then I should have a bit of a break.”  
“Make any new music lately?”

“Not really, no. Class is keeping me a lot busier than I hoped.”

Minhyuk hummed and a comfortable silence fell over them. The episode was almost over before Kihyun called them for dinner. Quickly, they filled their plates and headed back to the couch in the living room.

“It’s a special day, Kihyunnie never lets us eat on the couch. Must be because we have an important guest,” Minhyuk leaned over to whisper to Changkyun from his spot in the middle. 

“I heard that. You make me sound like I’m your mother,” Kihyun replied. 

Minhyuk gasped, covering his open mouth with his hands out of pretend shock, “Wait, you're not my mom?”

If he had been hoping to get a reaction out of Kihyun, his plan had crashed and burned. Kihyun simply rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the television. Changkyun, on the other hand, chuckled. 

“See, Ki, at least someone finds my jokes funny,” Minhyuk scowled and schooched slightly closer to Changkyun on the couch. 

“After living together for this long, I’m practically immune.”  
Changkyun didn’t miss his opportunity to ask the question that had been on his mind for days now, “How long have you guys lived together?” 

“Since our first year of college. We got paired as roommates in the dorms and the rest was history,” Minhyuk said, throwing Kihyun a rather cheesy look. Changkyun couldn’t tell if it was fake or not.  

Changkyun nodded. He had always counted himself lucky for knowing Jooheon before they started college. That way, he had someone to move out with and never had to worry about being paired with a creepy roommate. Both Minhyuk and Kihyun had lucked out in their case. 

“This was really good, Kihyun,” Changkyun commented, finishing the last bite of his food. 

“Kyun, what have I said about complimenting him before? It’s gonna go to his head.”

“Too late for that. Why do you think I got a job baking?” Kihyun laughed.  “Plus who would have starved in their first year of college if it wasn’t for me?”

“Tochué.”  
Noticing Minhyuk had finished as well, Changkyun stood up grabbing both their plates to bring back to the kitchen. “Where can I put these?” he asked. 

Kihyun grinned. “Minhyuk, he’s only been here once and he’s already doing more housework than you, can we please keep him?” 

“Hey! I sweep the floor sometimes,” Minhyuk said, trying to save his reputation. 

Kihyun snorted, “The keyword being sometimes. They can just go in the sink Changkyun. Minhyuk will wash them later.”

Minhyuk pretended to be really interested in the stiching patterns of the blanket that was lying on the side of the couch as Kihyun glared at him. Smiling to himself, Changkyun nodded before returning the dishes to the kitchen. 

Just as he was about to head back, Kihyun appeared in the doorway, carrying his own plate. He smiled sweetly at the younger and Changkyun hoped Kihyun couldn’t hear how fast his heart was beating. “Thanks for helping,” Kihyun said, placing a hand on Changkyun’s shoulder as they crossed paths. 

It wasn’t a big deal, just bringing dishes to the kitchen like he had been taught as a child and he made sure to tell Kihyun as much. The older man just laughed and patted Changkyun’s shoulder again, telling him he was glad for the help nonetheless.

They walked back to the living room together, Kihyun taking up his spot to the left of Minhyuk. Almost immediately, Minhyuk curled up next to the pink-haired man.  _ They look good together _ , Changkyun briefly thought. He didn’t dwell on the thought too much more nor did he find the cuddling strange. After all, once they had moved out, more often than not, he and Jooheon ended up cuddled on the couch by the end of a movie. They were both fairly tactile people and being childhood friends, the closeness had always been there. It was natural for them. 

Changkyun froze when he entered back into the room. “I, uh, I think I forgot my phone in the bathroom,” he stuttered out before turning and making his way back to the bathroom. He was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. 

He had been gone for not even five minutes to the bathroom, but he had come back to what might have possibly been Minhyuk and Kihyun making out on the couch. He shook his head, he had to have seen wrong. 

The more he thought about it though, the more it made sense. He thought they were together anyways, this was just solid evidence. His stomach twisted up into knots; although, he didn’t quite know why. Who knows, maybe Minhyuk was just leaning in to help Kihyun with something. Maybe there was a completely valid reason why Minhyuk had his hand up Kihyun’s shirt and his tongue down his throat. 

Changkyun didn’t know why he kept trying to justify what he saw. So what if they were dating? So what if his crush already had a boyfriend? So what? It was his life, not Changkyun’s. He felt slightly sick, but pushed down the feeling. 

He was perfectly fine being friends with Minhyuk. That’s all he had planned from the beginning, before Minhyuk has started acting so nice towards him. Realizing he had probably disappeared for a suspicious amount of time, Changkyun decided to return to his hosts, who were now sitting a respectable amount of distance apart on the couch as if nothing had ever happened. 

“Find your phone?” Kihyun asked, avoiding eye contact with the younger boy.

“Yeah, I just left it on the counter,” Changkyun hoped he didn’t sound as panicked to them as he did to himself. 

“Good thing you didn’t forget it,” Minhyuk joked and Changkyun wondered if the others felt the awkward tension in the air too. 

It feel silent for a moment and they all switched their attention back to the television. After a few minutes, Kihyun was the first to break the silence, “Do you have time to stay for a movie, Changkyun? We could watch an old horror one, if you want.”

Although he didn’t remember telling Kihyun about his love for horror movies, Changkyun agreed without a second thought. At least a movie would help get rid of the awkward tension, maybe that’s what Kihyun had been thinking too. 

Sure enough, it worked. Ten minutes into the movie, all three of them were making comments regarding the particularly bad graphics. 

“That blood just looks like fruit punch!” Kihyun said between breaths. He was laughing so hard, barely any noise was coming out. Changkyun wasn’t sure if it was  _ that _ funny, but Kihyun had an infectious laugh. So as soon as he started, the other two found themselves joining him. Changkyun couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed this hard, the previous awkwardness forgotten. 

There was something just so easy being friends with the two other boys. Minhyuk had come into Changkyun’s life like a hurricane. His beauty had caught Changkyun off board, pushed all the breath out of his lungs and left him in a bit of a daze. Kihyun, on the other hand, had snuck up on him like the tide crawling up the bay — slowly becoming a bigger part of Changkyun’s life. 

Both were so different. Minhyuk being the more energetic and optimistic of the two and Kihyun being more reserved. The seemed to bring out the best in each other and balance each other's personalities. Around Kihyun, Minhyuk became quieter (not by much, but anything counts) and Minhyuk seemed to draw the words out of the pink haired man. There was something so simple about their relationship that Changkyun was drawn to. 

It was here, sandwiched between the two boys on the couch, that he felt truly comfortable.

“Changkyun.” Kihyun’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Changkyun turned to find Kihyun staring intently at him. He snapped his attention back to the movie, not able to meet the other's gaze. “Were you listening?”

“No,” Changkyun trailed off, feeling guilty for being caught. 

“We were thinking of throwing a party—,” Minhyuk said, leaning towards Changkyun and drawing his attention away back away from the television. Changkyun tried his best to ignore the warmth radiating off Minhyuk and what he would give to he held by the older man. 

“A small get together,” Kihyun cut in, but Minhyuk took the opportunity to ignore him. Changkyun felt like it was probably something they had been debating over for awhile now. 

“As I was saying. Since we’ve had a successful first couple months with the cafe we’re throwing a party. You’re invited and your roommate is welcome to come too. If you aren’t busy of course!” 

Changkyun couldn’t deny another chance to spend time with the other two and he almost told them so. Instead, he simply said he would ask Jooheon about it when he got home. Minhyuk seemed to take that as an acceptable response and turned his attention back to the movie. Changkyun smiled to himself, content. 

 

“We got invited to a party,” Changkyun announced when he got home. 

“Are we finally gonna become real college students?” Jooheon rolled over in bed so he was facing towards where Changkyun was standing in the doorway to his room. 

It was a bit of a joke between the two. Jooheon had made a bit of a bucket list before his first year on everything they needed to accomplish to become  _ real _ college students. Of course, they had been to parties since (Jooheon more so, since Changkyun wasn’t usually a fan of the crowds), but the joke lived on. “Well actually, Kihyun seemed adamant it a small get together, but essentially yes.”

“I’m down. Do we need to bring anything?”

“I’m not sure, probably just our own drinks.”

“Sounds good,” Jooheon said. “I wanna finally meet these gods you’ve gone on and on about.”

Changkyun blushed, more out of embarrassment, at Jooheon’s statement. “I never said they were gods. They just both happen to have unfairly good looks.”

Pursing his lips, Jooheon let out a small noise letting Changkyun know he thought that was total bullshit. Changkyun rolled his eyes and left his roommate, not bothering to dignify his actions with a response. 

 

 


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That was something Changkyun had noticed and fallen victim to himself; Minhyuk had this addictive personality that tended to suck everyone in. Like the gravity around the sun.

“Changkyun!” A familiar voice rang out from behind before arms made their way around Changkyun’s neck and he felt a solid weight at his back. Without even having to turn around Changkyun already knew it was Minhyuk - he’d be able to identify that voice anywhere. He could feel breath on his ear as Minhyuk propped his head up on Changkyun’s shoulder. Already, there was a strong smell of alcohol coming from the man. 

Changkyun hadn’t seen much of either of his not-crushes the week before the party. Classes had been picking up as finals neared, so he wasn’t able to stop by the cafe as much as he wanted. Of course, he still texted Minhyuk nearly every day, but it wasn’t the same as talking. 

“Minhyuk, let them in the doorway!” Kihyun shouted from where he was standing in the living room. Minhyuk yielded and stepped back to let Changkyun and Jooheon enter the apartment. Changkyun looked up from removing his shoes to find Minhyuk had already disappeared back to the rest of the crowd. 

“Lead the way,” Jooheon said, gesturing down the hall. Changkyun did so, following the sound of voices and the dull thump of the music. 

There were several people Changkyun didn't know in the room, but Kihyun, the still mostly-sober host he was, wasted no time in making introductions. 

“Everyone, this is Changkyun and his roommate…” 

“Lee Jooheon,” Jooheon said introducing himself. The others took the opportunity to go around and introduce themselves. 

Hoseok was a childhood friend of Kihyun’s, who promised to spill embarrassing stories later on. Briefly Changkyun wondered if their colourful hair (the ends of Hoseok’s hair were blue to match Kihyun’s pale pink) was more of a dare between two best friends than anything. During university, Hoseok had met Hyungwon, who had promptly been adopted into their friend group. Changkyun had half a mind to ask if he was a model - it would be a shame if he wasn’t.  Hyunwoo, who Changkyun immediately took a liking too, had shared some classes with Minhyuk in first year and had stuck around ever since.

That was something Changkyun had noticed and fallen victim to himself; Minhyuk had this addictive personality that tended to suck everyone in. Like the gravity around the sun. Minhyuk didn’t seem to be aware of his ability and use it to manipulate others, he was just a magnet to those he met. 

“So how did you guys meet?” Hyunwoo asked. 

“He started stalking me at the cafe!” Minhyuk offered, Kihyun swatted at his shoulder. 

“I did not. I mean I met him at his cafe, no stalking involved though. I swear.”

Hyungwon laughed at Changkyun’s panicked attempt to prove his innocence. “Don’t worry none of us believed you stalked him. We generally don’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth when he’s drunk,” he said. 

“Yeah, one night he woke me up to tell me the sky was falling. Turns out one of the glow-in-the-dark stars on his roof fell on him when he was trying to fall asleep. That was the last time I decided to stay over after a party, ” Hoseok said obviously trying to hide his laughter. “I don’t know how Kihyun deals.”

“This one time he—” Hyungwon started before Minhyuk cut him off. 

“Ok, ok. That's enough! Kyun doesn’t need to know all my dirty secrets.”

Hyungwon just shrugged, “Oh well, we’ve got plenty if you ever want them, Changkyun.”

“Whose side are you on?” Minhyuk asked, but never heard Hyungwon’s answer. He was already moving on in search of another drink.

Throughout the night, Changkyun got to know Hyunwoo, Hoseok and Hyungwon a bit better. While Hyunwoo was slightly quieter than the other two, they were all friendly and he felt almost immediately comfortable around them. 

He learnt Hoseok was sensitive. He teared up after hearing Changkyun’s story of rescuing his childhood dog (Changkyun was in no place to blame him though, since he teared up recalling it too). He learnt Hyungwon had once slept through a fire drill in his first year.  _ He would probably sleep through the apocalypse _ , Kihyun snickered at one point. 

He learnt Hyunwoo had changed his major not once, but three times before deciding on becoming a kindergarten teacher. He learnt that Jooheon got along surprisingly well with Hyungwon. He learnt, through Hoseok, that Kihyun has once broken his leg after trying to follow a squirrel up a tree when he was a kid. 

He also learnt Minhyuk was a very clingy, very affectionate drunk.

Currently, Changkyun found himself sandwiched between Hoseok and a drunk Minhyuk on the couch. Changkyun himself hadn’t had much to drink, just enough to be social and ease some of his awkwardness around strangers. On the other hand, Minhyuk had been cut off by Kihyun (who had been keeping pace with Minhyuk, but was better at holding his alcohol) nearly an hour ago. He had already started to sober up with the amount of water Kihyun had been forcing him to drink. 

“Just one tiny sip,” Minhyuk whined, flashing his puppy dog eyes at Changkyun. It took everything in Changkyun not to give in, but he knew he’d get in shit with Kihyun and he did  _ not _ want to get on Kihyun’s bad side. He had never seen it and he wasn’t planning on seeing it anytime soon.

He shook his head and moved the drink in his hand away from Minhyuk’s line of sight. 

“What if I give you a kiss for it?” Minhyuk said leaning in, his voice was warm and sent a hot shiver down Changkyun’s spine. He really hoped Minhyuk didn’t notice. Minhyuk’s voice was low enough that Kihyun, who was sitting on the loveseat directly across from them, hadn’t heard the question. Changkyun wasn’t even sure  _ he _ heard it right. 

It took another second to process what Minhyuk asked before he was blushing and stuttering out a choked no. He tried to ignore the way his head felt lighter at the mere thought of kissing the other man and blamed it on the alcohol. 

“You better not be trying to bribe him for another drink, Minhyuk,” Kihyun said. “He’s not the one that’s going to have to deal with you in the morning.”

As a response, Minhyuk flopped over onto Changkyun and buried his face in Changkyun’s neck, attempting to hide his obvious pout. Changkyun froze the second he felt Minhyuk’s breath on his neck. His mind began running wild and he, once again, blamed it on the alcohol. Being this close to Minhyuk was not good for his health. 

Minhyuk’s lips ghosted his skin, leaving sparks shooting like lightning all over his body, and all Changkyun could think about was shifting his head so he would be able to capture Minhyuk’s lips with his own.  _ His probably-boyfriend is sitting right across from you, don’t do anything stupid _ , Changkyun had to remind himself and take a couple deep breaths. 

“Minhyuk, sit up. Can’t you see you’re making Changkyun uncomfortable?” Kihyun said, ever the voice of reason. Changkyun guessed the panic he felt must have shown on his face for Kihyun to be able to pick up on it. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks, as if he had been caught in the act doing something he shouldn’t have -  _ thinking _ something he shouldn’t have. 

Of course, Jooheon chose that exact moment to enter the room, another drink from the kitchen in his hand. Hyungwon was trailing not too far behind. As soon as he saw what was going on, Jooheon sent Changkyun a knowing glance. If anything, Changkyun blushed even harder, hoping in the dim lighting that it wasn’t noticeable. He knew he was never gonna hear the end of this from his best friend. 

Immediately, cold seeped into his side when Minhyuk moved away, but he was grateful. He wasn’t sure how much longer his self control would have lasted and the last thing he wanted to do was mess up his friendship with Minhyuk. 

The rest of the night passed as a blur. At some point, Minhyuk dragged out Monopoly and forced everyone to play, threatening strip poker as their other option. They had to team up since several of the player pieces had gone missing ( _ We bought it that way _ , Minhyuk claimed), Changkyun ending up with Hyunwoo. Jooheon was with both Hoseok and Hyungwon, which was a smart decision on his part seeing they were millionaires by the end and drove Minhyuk and Kihyun broke. 

 

Slowly, Changkyun opened his eyes. He barely remembered closing them. He didn't remember much of the night before, for that matter. Thankfully, he felt no sign of a headache or nausea. The water he chugged last night must have done its job. 

Taking in his surroundings, Changkyun tried to remember where he was. Everywhere he looked was unfamiliar. It took another minute to register that he was still at Minhyuk and Kihyun’s apartment.  

When he tried to move, Changkyun found he was stuck. There was a warm body behind him - arms wrapped tightly around his waist, breath hot on the back of his neck. It was also at that moment he realized he wasn’t using a pillow at all. Instead, his head was resting on Kihyun’s chest - the slow rise and fall letting Changkyun know Kihyun was still asleep. Now he for sure couldn’t get up, not wanting to disturb the other man.

The second time Changkyun woke up it was much later. Sunlight was blinded him as soon as he opened his eyes, forcing its way in through the blinds. As he regained a bit of his sight he noticed that, while he was in the same position as last time, the warmth at his back was gone, but this time Kihyun was awake. 

“Oh, I could get used to this,” KIhyun said, his voice thick with sleep, lisp more pronounced that usual. Up close, Kihyun’s gaze was even more intense and Changkyun felt his face heat up. He just hoped they were too close for Kihyun to notice it. 

Intense as it was, Changkyun couldn't convince himself to look away. Kihyun’s almond eyes seemed to demand all the attention in the room and Changkyun found himself easily getting lost in them. There was something Changkyun found so sharp and captivating about them; yet, whenever they were aimed at Minhyuk they were incredibly soft. 

Almost naturally, Changkyun found his eyes betraying him, wandering down to Kihyun’s lips. If he didn’t realize how close they were before, he was aware now. All either of them had to do was lean forward the slightest bit and they would be kissing. Quickly, Changkyun tried to rid his mind of the thoughts, not wanting to make a mistake he might regret. 

Kihyun shifted slightly, moving to sit up. “As much as I would love to stay like this, we should probably get up before-”

“Good morning sleepy heads!” Minhyuk called out, too loud and cheery for the morning. Changkyun was surprised how awake he sounded, considering he was the one who drank the most the night before. Too tired to filter himself, Changkyun told Minhyuk just as much. 

“First, I’ve been up since nine. It’s nearly two in the afternoon now, but I didn’t want to bother you guys-” 

Kihyun snorted, “That’s a first.”

Minhyuk glared back. “As I was saying, you guys looked too cute curled up like that, I couldn’t bring myself to wake you up,” Minhyuk said, his frown evolving into a shit eating grin. Beside him, Kihyun sucked in his breath. Still in a sleepy daze, Changkyun couldn’t process the words fast enough to form a reply before Minhyuk disappeared into the kitchen as fast as he had appeared.

“Did everyone else stay over too?” Changkyun asked, wondering where Jooheon and the rest of Kihyun’s friends had gone. 

“Jooheon crashed in my bed I think,” Kihyun said.  _ He looks ethereal _ , Changkyun briefly thought, mind a hundred miles away from the conversation already. The sunlight was streaming in through the blinds and bounced off Kihyun’s hair making it shine. His lips were a pale pink (matching his hair quite perfectly) and his eyes warm and soft. 

Changkyun watched as Kihyun pulled his sweater over his hand and used it to rub the sleep out of his eyes - it was oddly endearing. Not for the first time, Changkyun wondered what it would feel like to hold Kihyun’s hand.

“Hoseok, Hyunwoon and Hyungwon all left last night, they all live around here, so I didn’t feel that bad sending them home. Plus, after previous incidents I don’t know if I could get Hoseok to stay even if I tried.” 

Changkyun nodded, coming back to reality. “Thanks for letting us stay over.”

“Of course, I wasn’t gonna let you try and find your way home, only to wake up from a call from the police asking why my friends were found in a ditch.”

“Real smooth,” Minhyuk called from the kitchen, making no attempt to hide the fact he was eavesdropping. Changkyun could only laugh (and if his stomach did a somersault from Kihyun calling them friends, then nobody had to know). He was amazed at how fast they had grown closer. He considered himself as close with Kihyun as he was with Minhyuk now. Before Changkyun could say anything else, Kihyun stood up and made his way into the kitchen, mumbling something about stopping Minhyuk from burning the house down. 

Changkyun took the opportunity to go find Jooheon; he would be upset if Changkyun let him miss breakfast - or rather, lunch, since it was afternoon now. With quiet steps, he made his way down the hall. Although he wasn’t sure which was Kihyuns room, there were only three doors, so he figured he couldn't guess horribly wrong. The first door revealed the bathroom and Changkyun vaguely remembered knowing that, after stumbling in there several times last night. 

Next he tried the door to his right, which was already slightly opened. The room behind it revealed itself to be pretty bare. The furniture of the room only consisted of a dresser with a mirror sitting on top, a desk, a side table, and a bed. The walls were plain except for several prints of scenery photography. Changkyun found himself admiring them and made a note to ask where they were from.

Along with everything else in the room, there was a tuft of black hair sticking out under the covers of the bed. If there was one thing Changkyun knew, it was that waking up Jooheon did not come easy. The other boy usually had five alarms set just to make sure he got out of bed in time for class - half the time he still slept in anyways.

Approaching the bed, Changkyun reached out to shake Jooheon, calling his name as he did so. It took a couple attempts, but finally Jooheon’s eyes flickered open.

“We’re at Kihyun and Minhyuk’s,” Changkyun said, hoping to answer the look of confusion on Jooheon’s face. 

Jooheon groaned and tried to pull the blankets back over his head. “What time is it?” he asked, voice muffled. 

“2 pm. We’re gonna have some food soon. I’m going back to the kitchen, but if you aren’t there in ten I’m coming back for you,” Changkyun threatened before leaving to let Jooheon wake up. He could hear Minhyuk and Kihyun’s voices coming from the kitchen and made his way back in the direction.  

The scene he watched unravel could only be described as  _ domestic _ . Kihyun was at the stove having taken over cooking from Minhyuk. Minhyuk was setting the table, having to go back to grab extra plates and utensils, as if he forgot they had guests. His shirt rode up as he reached to get the plates, a thin stretch of stomach was visible and Changkyun felt guilty for staring. He felt worse after wondering what it would feel like to walk up and splay his hands across Minhyuk’s stomach, feeling the muscles underneath.  

“Come sit down, Changkyun. It’s almost ready,” Kihyun said, not even turning away from the stove. Changkyun’s faced flushed red, the feeling of being caught in the act flooding over him again, not even sure how long Kihyun had known he was there. 

Listening to Kihyun, Changkyun made his way to the small round table that Minhyuk has worked hard at setting. Surprisingly, Jooheon appeared not too long after. Changkyun had been sure he would have to wake him again. 

“How was your sleep?” Changkyun asked as his roommate approached. 

“Good. Your bed is really soft,” he said, directing the last part at Kihyun. 

“That’s good to hear,” Kihyun said, placing the omelette on the table and taking his seat between Minhyuk and Jooheon. Silence fell as they all dug into the delicious meal Kihyun had made. 

“Changkyun had a good sleep, too,” Minhyuk mentioned after a minute, a mischievous glint in his eye. Changkyun inhaled sharply, choking on his food. 

“Are you okay?” Jooheon asked, looking up from his plate with a concerned look. 

Changkyun coughed a couple more times, trying to free the piece of toast that had gotten lodged in his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, gulping in fresh air and glaring in Minhyuk’s direction. 

“You slept well?” 

“Yeah,” Changkyun said, maybe a little too quickly. “Yeah, I slept fine.” Changkyun kicked Minhyuk under the table when he started snickering again. With one last glare from Kihyun, Minhyuk stopped and went back to his meal. 

Kihyun took over to steer the conversation in a different direction. He asked what Jooheon was studying (linguistics), how he had gotten interested in it (he had always been fascinated with learning new languages as a child, he loved everything about them) and if he was liking the course so far (debatable). 

“Half the time he spends more time out with friends than studying, I’m not sure how he’s still passing,” Changkyun added.

“Sounds like someone else we know,” Kihyun said, a smile on his lips. Minhyuk continued to eat his breakfast, choosing not to acknowledge the statement. 

“Hey, I’m passing and you know it,” Jooheon whined and Changkyun believed him. Jooheon might spend plenty of time time out and about, but every other spare moment was spent studying - his pride wouldn’t allow him to fail.

“I believe you!” Minhyuk took the opportunity to enter the conversation again, his blinding smile plastered back on his face. 

Jooheon laughed, “Thanks man.”

“You don’t seem like the type to half ass things.” Minhyuk was right of course, but Changkyun couldn’t help the slight shock he felt. After all, Minhyuk has only met Jooheon last night and for as drunk as he was, he had managed to figure Jooheon out already. 

“And you seem like the type who’s smarter than he lets on.”

Minhyuk’s only response was to shoot finger guns at Jooheon before resuming his meal. 

 

Now that the semester was over, Changkyun had started dropping by the cafe whenever he had free time. Which was still not as much as he would have liked, but he would take whatever he could get. Last week, a new cashier had been hired since the cafe was starting to gain popularity and Minhyuk could no longer handle it by himself. 

That being said, Minhyuk was a bit busier than normal training the new staff. She seemed nice enough, even though Changkyun had only spoken to her once so far. Most days, he made a habit to stop by in the evenings so he could see Kihyun as well and she was long gone by then. 

“Changkyun can you pass me that bowl?” Changkyun grabbed one of the bowls Kihyun had just finished with and passed it over to Minhyuk who was currently arms-deep in dishwater. “Thanks.”

“Why don’t you do dishes at home?” Kihyun shot at his roommate. 

“The maid does them at home-” Minhyuk didn’t get a chance to finish. 

“The maid?” Kihyun shrieked eyes scanning around the room for something to throw at Minhyuk, who was now cackling. 

Wanting to avoid having to clean up more of a mess, Changkyun stepped in before things escalated to the extent they had last week (he had just gotten the rest of the icing sugar out of his hair last night and he did  _ not _ want a repeat). “Where’s a towel I can use to dry?”

“The drawer on the left.” 

Sure enough there was a pile of smaller towels in the drawer. Changkyun grabbed one and make his way over to help Minhyuk, making sure to thank Kihyun.

“At least someone here is helping.”

“What do you think I’m doing?” Minhyuk asked, taking the opportunity to flick dishwater in Kihyun’s general direction. 

“A favour so I’ll have to owe you something later?” Kihyun offered. By the way Minhyuk didn’t bother to bite back a reply let Kihyun know he hit the nail right on the head. 

“Changkyun, can you replace Minhyuk?” 

Minhyuk pouted from where he stood at the sink, “Rude, I’m right here. I can hear you, you know.” Beside him Changkyun laughed. He couldn’t deny Minhyuk’s pout was more cute than anything. 

“Oh, I  _ know _ .”

“Rude,” Minhyuk repeated, not able to come up with another remark. 

They fell into silence again as they worked to finish their tasks quickly so they could leave. It had been a long day for Minhyuk and Changkyun; Kihyun, on the other had had just woken up a couple hours ago. 

 

One thing about Changkyun’s habit of dropping by is that once he started to do it more often, he started doing it unannounced; figuring more times than not, they would just be expecting him anyways. And they usually were. Minhyuk always made sure to text Changkyun if they left early or to remind him it was closed on Sundays. 

Changkyun never really thought much about stopping by unannounced, usually he just caught them in the middle of tidying up and would help them out. Today though, it seemed suspiciously quiet. More often than not, Kihyun (and sometimes Minhyuk) sang along to the radio while cleaning, so he was able to hear them the moment he opened the front door. 

For a brief second Changkyun thought they might not be there at all, but then the door would have been locked and he wouldn’t be standing in the door to the kitchen watching the scene in front of him unfold. 

Kihyun was sitting on the island in the middle of the room, his back to the door where Changkyun stood frozen. Minhyuk was perched between Kihyun’s legs - one hand on the bracing himself on the counter, the other tangled in Kihyun’s hair. Unlike last time Changkyun had walked in on them kissing, this time he couldn’t deny it.

He couldn’t come up with some weak excuse. The noises coming from Kihyun were a dead giveaway. 

Immediately, Changkyun felt his body heat up. The feeling of standing there and watching, made him feel guilty somewhere in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t make himself move. He was a deer stuck in headlights. Watching the two of them was captivating. Kihyun was pliant against Minhyuk, following the pace he set, responding eagerly. 

Changkyun watched as Kihyun tilted his head, giving Minhyuk access to his neck. Minhyuk didn’t waste a second, attaching his lips to the column of Kihyun’s neck, biting and licking whenever he could reach. Whatever he was doing must have felt good; Kihyun let out a loud moan, his arms moving to grip Minhyuk’s neck. Changkyun felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. 

From across the room, Minhyuk looked up, locking eyes with Changkyun. When Changkyun expected him to stop or maybe even yell, Minhyuk just smirked and continued on, more eager than before. From a rather sharp bite on his neck, Kihyun threw his head back, a low shout escaping his lips. Snapping out of his daze, Changkyun quickly turned and all but ran back into the main part of the cafe. 

The panic was already beginning to set in when he took a seat at a table. Changkyun knew he shouldn’t have stood there that long, he should have left the second he walked into the kitchen. His legs had betrayed him, locking up from the shock. Deep down he knew he hadn’t wanted to walk away, but he wasn’t ready to admit that to himself yet. 

Knowing for sure they were together left a bad taste in Changkyun’s mouth. He felt guilty for even  _ thinking _ of either of them in such a way that might have ruined their relationship if he had acted upon his thoughts. The last thing he would have wanted was to hurt them.

“Hey,” Kihyun said, his voice snapping Changkyun out of his panic and taking a seat across from him at the table. He hadn’t even heard Kihyun approach, he was too lost in his own head. Changkyun couldn’t even look him in the eye, but he could feel Kihyun’s gentle gaze watching him. “Minhyuk, thought you left.”

“I’m still here.”

Kihyun sighed, “Obviously... I feel like we have some things to talk about.” 

Almost immediately, Changkyun’s heart dropped and the feeling of panic threatened to swallow him whole. Of course, Minhyuk sent Kihyun out to develiver the bad news, they were mad at him for overstepping. This was the final straw, they were finally going to end their friendship with Changkyun.  _ This _ is what Changkyun had been expecting weeks ago instead of being invited over for dinner - the time had finally come.  

Kihyun continued on when Changkyun didn’t say anything. “So, Minhyuk and I are dating. We have been for two years now. We were planning on telling you eventually, but we didn’t want to weird you or make you feel like the third wheel or anything.”

Changkyun wasn’t too sure what to say. Of course he felt like he had known all along, but it felt wrong to admit that now. There was a lump in this throat, blocking any words from escaping.

“Shit.  _ Did _ we make you uncomfortable? I’m sorry, we really meant to tell you, we just didn’t know when. It’s okay if you don’t want to be friends anymore…” Kihyun trailed off, obviously hurt, but not wanting to make Changkyun any more uncomfortable than he thought he already was. 

“Ah, no no no. It’s okay, I-I’m gay too. I mean, I don’t know if you guys are gay or bi or whatever but like, I’m gay,” Changkyun stuttered out, looking up to see the surprise on Kihyun’s face. He tried to ignore the angry red mark that was forming on Kihyun’s neck, knowing just how he had gotten it minutes ago. 

“Oh.” The realization dawned on Kihyun’s face, “ _ Oh _ . That’s good.”

“I also might have walked into you guys making out at your apartment too one time,” Changkyun muttered after a minute of silence, glancing down to avoid Kihyun’s gaze again. 

“Yeah, we thought so, but then you didn’t mention it so we weren’t sure if you actually saw or were just trying to block it out.” Kihyun paused to glance over to the kitchen, ”You can come out now Minhyuk, he’s not mad.”

“He’s not?” Minhyuk asked, walking over from where he had been hovering by the kitchen door. This was not a side of Minhyuk Changkyun knew well. This Minhyuk was quiet, walking across the floor with slow, even steps. 

“No, of course not,” Changkyun assured him. 

“Oh...that’s good. I thought I might have disgusted you or crossed a line.”

“I’m sorry you guys had to hide your relationship whenever we hung out,” Changkyun said, the feeling of guilt growing in his chest, spreading throughout his body.

“It’s okay, we’re used to it.” 

Changkyun had never heard Minhyuk be this serious before, it was an interesting side to the other. Although, he thought he felt his heart split in two after hearing the words of the other. “Yeah but like...you shouldn’t have to be. I mean, I get it, but it’s not fair.”

“Well, now we don’t have to hide around you,” Minhyuk said, swinging an arm around his boyfriend happily, the smile Changkyun loved so much returning to his face. Kihyun didn’t say anything, a shy smile appeared from where he was now tucked into Minhyuk’s side.

“So we’re good?” Minhyuk asked. 

Changkyun nodded. 

“Well, that’s not exactly the way I imagined it happening, but I’m glad we got this sorted out I guess,” Kihyun said, stepping away from Minhyuk’s grip. 

“Yeah, next time I’ll try to ravish him at home so you don’t have to see that again. Unless you want to of course,” Minhyuk added on with a smirk, mirroring the one he had given Changkyun earlier, right before giving Kihyun a rather impressive hickey. 

Changkyun choked on air, he wasn’t sure how Minhyuk was able to go from serious to teasing that fast.

“ _ Minhyuk _ ,” Kihyun hissed. “He’s never gonna wanna hang out with us ever again.”

Minhyuk has the decency to look at least a little embarrassed after being called out. “Oh, speaking of- I hope you don’t get all awkward around us now and feel like the third wheel when we hang out, Kyun. Nothing’s actually changed. We still both really enjoy your company.” 

Kihyun nodded in agreement with his boyfriend. 

Changkyun finally smiled, he wasn’t sure he could stop hanging out with the two even if he wanted.  _ Wow you really are screwed huh, _ he thought. “Of course.”

 

“If I knew it would take you over an  _ hour _ to get ready I would have told you the movie was at 8! We’re gonna be late.” Jooheon’s voice rang out across the apartment. 

Changkyun ran his toothbrush over his teeth quickly before spitting in the sink. Checking one last time in the mirror, he went to go find his roommate before Jooheon came after him. To be fair, Jooheon should have known better, they had been friends for over a decade after all.

Although he didn’t go super often, Changkyun still liked to look good whenever he did. Which is why it sometimes took him upwards of an hour just to get ready.   

“You’re worse than a teenage girl, I swear,” Jooheon said. He locked the door behind them and immediately took off towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

“Yeah, but at least I look presentable,” Changkyun laughed, running ahead to push the down button for the elevator first - it was always a race.

“At least I don’t look like I try too hard,” Jooheon shot back. Changkyun just rolled his eyes. 

The cinema was surprisingly quiet for a Friday evening, but Changkyun wasn’t going to complain. Hopefully, that meant they would be able to get a good seat. Rather impulsively, they had decided to go see the newest horror movie. Changkyun thought it had the potential to actually be scary, so he was looking forward to it. Jooheon, on the other hand, was considerably less excited, but he came along because his pride was too big to allow him to chicken out. 

“Do you wanna go save us seats and I’ll grab the snacks?” Jooheon asked after they got their tickets. 

“Sure,” Changkyun said, breaking off to go find the right theatre. Not even a minute after he sat down, two familiar faces rounded the corner and Changkyun’s face lit up. He hadn’t expected to run into Minhyuk and Kihyun tonight. He hadn’t seen either of them in nearly a week - since the Incident, as he started calling it - and missed them both more than he would care to admit. 

“Funny running into you here,” Minhyuk grinned, claiming the spot next to Changkyun.

Beside him, Kihyun snorted. “He practically begged me to leave the house tonight knowing it was the opening night of a horror movie.”

“Ki,” Minhyuk groaned, dragging out the nickname. He sheepishly looked ahead, deciding not to acknowledge Changkyun anymore. If he peered close enough, Changkyun thought he could see blush across Minhyuk’s cheeks; although, the lighting was too dim to tell for sure.  

Having at least some mercy, Kihyun changed his focus to Changkyun, “Did you come here by yourself? You know you could have asked us, that way we could have shown up invited.” He sent a glare to Minhyuk at the last part. 

“Oh. No, Jooheon is here too. He went to grab snacks for us.” Sure enough, Jooheon appeared around the corner - two sodas, twizzlers and a bag of gummy lifesavers in his hand. He waved when he saw the other two and made his way to where they were sitting. 

“Hey guys!” He passed a drink and the twizzlers over to Changkyun as he sat down. Grabbing everyone's attention, the screen lit up, the trailers for other new releases beginning to play. 

“Good timing,” Changkyun leaned over to whisper to his roommate. “I told you we’d make it.”

“Just barely,” Jooheon hissed. They really had no reason to be whispering. Although it was opening right, it was a B horror movie, so there wasn’t a large crowd filling the theatre. “Why are they here?” Jooheon continued, motioning to Minhyuk and Kihyun.

Changkyun shrugged, “Beats me. Sounds like Minhyuk dragged Kihyun out of the house.”

“Sounds like he wanted to see a certain someone.”

“Shhh.” Changkyun glanced to make sure Minhyuk couldn’t hear them. “How would he even know we’re here though? He never texted me.”

“Does he know your the biggest horror movie fan?”

“It may have come up once or twice.”

Jooheon shot him a look as if to say,  _ there’s your answer _ . Changkyun rolled his eyes at his friend, still not believing him.  

The lights dimmed as the opening of the movie started and Changkyun shifted back in his seat to face forward.  _ Minhyuk didn’t actually come here just with the intent to run into me…..had he?  _ Changkyun wondered, stealing a glance at Minhyuk. 

When he looked over, he was met with Minhyuk’s eyes and his dazzling smile. Changkyun’s breath hitched in the back of his throat, he was  _ so _ screwed. Even in the dim lighting Minhyuk was breathtaking. Changkyun almost had enough courage to tell him so, but the fact that Kihyun -  _ his boyfriend _ , Changkyun reminded himself - was sitting right next to him silenced any thought he had. 

Changkyun offered him a weak smile before turning back to the movie. He still wasn’t sure why Minhyuk and Kihyun had showed up, but within a couple minutes he had convinced himself it was just a coincidence. 

The movie itself wasn’t as scary as Changkyun had hoped. There were more jump scares that relied on the surprise factor than anything, which was slightly disappointing. Jooheon and Minhyuk on the other hand weren’t faring quite as well. 

The jump scares had Jooheon practically twitching in his seat out of nerves, wondering when the next would strike. Minhyuk, about twenty minutes in, after the first jump scare had grabbed Changkyun’s hand. 

At first Changkyun froze, thinking it was just a reaction in the moment and would end soon. But it had been nearly a half hour and Minhyuk still had a tight grip on his hand. At some point Changkyun had decided to give in and reciprocated it. He just hoped Minhyuk couldn’t feel how sweaty his hand was. 

He wasn’t too sure what to make of it. If Minhyuk really was scared, why didn’t he just hold Kihyun’s hand? Sure, he might have confused Changkyun with Kihyun at first, but Changkyun didn’t think that was likely. Plus, if that were the case, he probably would have stopped as soon as he realized. 

Feeling a nudge on his shoulder, Changkyun looked over. Jooheon glanced once down to draw his attention to where Minhyuk was holding his hand and then raised his eyebrow in question. Changkyun just shrugged in response, he truly didn’t had an answer of his own. 

As soon as the credits started to roll, Changkyun pulled his hands away. He wasn’t sure if Kihyun had seen and he wasn’t sure which was better - Kihyun knowing or not. 

On one hand, if Kihyun knew, Minhyuk probably had permission, but then what would that mean for Changkyun? Immediately he deemed that as the least likely answer. If Kihyun didn’t know, Changkyun felt sick at the possibility. He didn’t even want to think about what that would entail, he didn’t want to get in the middle of their relationship. 

Thankfully, Minhyuk didn’t act weird or give away anything as they walked as a group towards the parking lot. Changkyun tried his best to keep up with the conversation even though his mind was already miles away. 

“It was nice running into you guys,” Jooheon said, waving goodbye as they started to break off, going their separate ways to their vehicles. 

“Yeah it was nice to see you!” Minhyuk shot them his signature blinding smile and Changkyuns heart flip-flopped.

“Yeah. Maybe next time we can plan to actually go together,” Kihyun offered. Changkyun didn’t miss the subtle glance in Minhyuk’s direction. 

Changkyun just nodded, still not sure what to say and bid them goodbye before following Jooheon back to their vehicle. He left the movies more confused that ever, the plot of the movie already forgotten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have to say i'm real proud of myself for getting this up this fast! the first chapter really took me a whole semester to write while i adjusted to school, but this one took less than a month! the next one might take a bit longer as things are starting to pick up over the next few months...but i'll try my best
> 
> also! i want to thank u all soooo much for the sweet and encouraging comments! i'll written for a few fandoms at this point, but never gotten this much love and support. it really means a lot and i appreciate it so so much! you guys are the best! <3


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those of you who saw this when i uploaded it for like 3 hours the other day....im so sorry dsfhjsdkjf i went back and added a bit more, tho i'm still not 100% satisfied with it yet but oh well!

“Minhyuk, turn that down!” Kihyun had to shout over the sound of Mario Kart for Minhyuk to hear him from the kitchen. 

“One second!” Minhyuk called back, he was too involved in the match to make a move for the remote. Changkyun couldn’t blame him. They had been fighting back and forth for first place for the last minute and now that it was the last lap, it was getting serious. 

“Ha!” Changkyun jumped up as Minhyuk wiped out at the last second, Changkyun flying through the finish line. “Take that!”

“If you’re done being children can you please turn that down now, I think my ears are bleeding.”

“Oh, as if you weren’t the one yelling ten minutes ago when you won rainbow road, Ki,” Changkyun shot back, too cocky from his win to really care about his attitude towards the other. Minhyuk just laughed, clearly amused and held his hand up for a high five. Changkyun gladly returned it - any time he could make Minhyuk laugh was considered a win.

They had been spending more time together - usually at Minhyuk and Kihyun’s apartment - and Changkyun had been becoming more comfortable around the others. After the movies he had been a little cautious, not sure how to act, but nobody brought it up again, so soon enough it was forgotten. 

As soon as Changkyun got comfortable, he started joking around more, which lead to Minhyuk laughing more. Soon enough it had turned into an endless loop of Changkyun trying to impress the other. He was certain he could never get tired of Minhyuk’s laugh. 

It always counted as a bonus when Kihyun joined in the laughter too. His was slightly more high pitched than Minhyuk’s and when he laughed hard enough, he tended to just collapse, legs turning to jelly. Whenever it happened, Changkyun always laughed harder seeing how affected his the pink haired man was. 

“I’ll come back and kick both your asses if you don’t turn the damn volume down,” Kihyun insisted, sticking his head into the living room. The threat was enough for Minhyuk as he scrambled to grab the remote, muting the television. 

“Quiet enough for you?” He asked, grinning. 

Kihyun rolled his eyes as he walked back into the kitchen. “Why are you like this?”

“I think he was probably dropped on his head,” Changkyun offered. 

“It’s not my fault I was such a strong baby that even my parents couldn’t hold me,” Minhyuk boasted, eyes sparkling even in the poor lighting. Changkyun never failed to be amazed at how bright Minhyuk’s eyes were.   

Changkyun snorted and rolled his eyes, “Uh huh.”

“What you don’t believe me?” Minhyuk asked. “I’ll have you know I’m probably the strongest person in this apartment currently.”

Seconds after Changkyun mumbled  _ prove it _ , he found himself floating. No,  _ not _ floating, Minhyuk was carrying him. Bridal style. 

“ _ Minhyuk _ . Oh my go- Put me down!” Changkyun shrieked, struggling in Minhyuk’s arms. 

Minhyuk’s only response was to pull Changkyun closer to his chest, arms tightening around him. “I’m not gonna drop you. I told you, I’m strong.”

Minhyuk walked them into the kitchen, finding Kihyun who was finishing putting away the leftovers. “Ki, look at my baby.”

Changkyun felt all the blood rush to his face at the nickname, even though he was sure that’s not how Minhyuk had intended it. He attempted to hide his face behind his hands, hoping they wouldn’t notice his blush. 

“Cute” Kihyun said, looking up. “You better not drop him.”

“Good to know neither of you believe in me,” Minhyuk whined, but knew it was a false claim.

They stood for another moment while Kihyun placed the containers of food in the fridge. Changkyun was sure Minhyuk’s arm must have been burning by now from holding him, he knew he couldn’t be that light. 

Pressed against Minhyuk’s chest, he only hoped Minhyuk wasn’t able to feel how hard his heart was beating. Changkyun wouldn’t be surprised if it burst out of his chest at some point - it certainly felt like it was gonna. 

“You can put me down now,” Changkyun said quietly. 

“Oh. Right,” Minhyuk said, as if he had forgotten he was holding Changkyun in the first place. He quickly set Changkyun back down. 

They made their way back into the living room once Kihyun was done tidying up, taking up their usual spots on the couch. Changkyun sandwiched in the middle of the other two. He had attempted to sit on the end the first time after knowing they were a couple, not wanting to split them up. Kihyun had all but forced him back into the middle, claiming they couldn’t break tradition.

Since the first night they hung out, it had become a habit to watch the newest chopped episode together. They took turns choosing a different contestant to cheer for and whoever won (through extension of their chef) got bragging rights for the week. Minhyuk had won last week and Kihyun and Changkyun hadn’t heard the end of it since. 

Changkyun settled into the couch as the first round began, humming contently to himself. The warmth from the Minhyuk and Kihyun on either side of him making him feel more at home than ever. He had decided a while ago, that crushes or not, he would be happy to remain friends with Kihyun and Minhyuk for as long as they would have him. 

 

It was already past three in the afternoon, but it was definitely too early for this. Changkyun had made plans to join up with Minhyuk, Kihyun and the rest of their friends to go laser tagging last week. They had all agreed it would be fun to meet up and go out as a group again, plus Minhyuk had practically begged him and he could never say no to the other man. 

In fact, Changkyun had trouble saying no to others in general. Which is how he found himself set up for a blind date later in the evening thanks to Jooheon. Something he had not, and did not, plan on telling Minhyuk and Kihyun - at least not until it was over and done with. He was almost positive they would be happy for him, but the thought of telling them felt weird to him for some reason.

From previous experience laser tagging, Changkyun knew very well that dark clothes were best - which is why he was wearing his favourite pair of dark navy jeans with a plain black tee.

Of course it was pretty common knowledge, but he never had imagined Minhyuk and Kihyun would  _ both _ show up in black skinny jeans. Changkyun was pretty sure he stopped breathing at some point, his mouth going dry. While Minhyuk's jean were solid and hugged his legs in all the right places, the thighs of Kihyun’s were torn in several places, looking like pure sin and Changkyun wondered briefly if it was even legal. He wondered if they knew the dangerous effect they had over him. 

“It's good to see you again, Changkyun,” Hyunwoo said approaching their group and snapping Changkyun back to reality. He blinked several times, as if waking up from a deep slumber. He too, was wearing darker clothing, obviously committed to the game. 

“You too.” Changkyun kept his eyes towards the ground as they walked towards the entrance. He was not about to get dirty thoughts about his friends in public.  _ Especially _ now that he knew they were a couple. 

He really needed to get over these silly crushes. Jooheon had told him from the beginning, this wasn’t going to end well. He should have listened. 

“You ready to get your ass kicked, Kyun?” Minhyuk challenged. Ever the gentleman, Minhyuk stopped to hold the door for everyone before trailing behind the group to the counter once inside the building. 

“I wouldn't be talking so big, babe,” Kihyun said a teasing tone to his voice, bumping into Minhyuk’s side. “We all know you have the worst aim here.” 

“Hey!”

Changkyun laughed and threw Minhyuk a teasing smirk, “Good to know.” 

“Last time he ended up shooting himself in the mirror,” Hoseok said, walking over with Hyungwon, from where they had been waiting inside for the others.  

“Twice!” Hyungwon took the liberty to point out, a shit eating grin on his face.

“Hey!” Minhyuk yelled louder this time, but didn’t deny anything. “I invite you to hang out and all you do is expose me?” 

Hyungwon just laughed, “What else are friends for?”

Minhyuk flipped him off and pursed his lips together, furrowing his brows. Kihyun leaned forward to press a quick kiss to Minhyuk’s lips, likely an attempt to cheer him up. By the way Minhyuk immediately bounced back to his cheerful self, it was pretty obvious to Changkyun it had worked. 

“This is why he walks all over you. You’re so weak for him,” Hoseok said to Kihyun, leading the way up to the counter. Kihyun just smiled gently. 

One by one, they paid and chose their nickname for the game. Hoseok and Hyungwon both ended up with pokemon, Hyunwoo went with a classic superhero name while Minhyuk had insisted the three of them be Peanut, Butter and Jelly respectively. Changkyun thought it was a little silly, but the fact that Minhyuk was including him in with their unit was enough for him to give in. It left a tingly, warm feeling in his chest. 

They were combined into another, larger group and guided to a separate room to be briefed on the rules - no swearing, no running, blah, blah, blah. Quickly they learnt how to use their laser guns, even though Changkyun remembered everything from last time he had come with Jooheon. 

“For the first round you'll be randomly placed on teams. Your vest will light up either green or red,” the instructor explained. Changkyun looked down at his vest to see a green dot staring back. A nudge from his side alerted him to see that Hyungwon and Hoseok were also on the green team. Hoseok shot him a thumbs up. Changkyun grinned back at him. 

Minhyuk had already gathered Kihyun, Hyunwoo and several others on the red team across the room and was probably already forming a plan on how to win. 

“So what's our strategy?” Changkyun asked, already feeling steps behind whatever genius plan Minhyuk had hatched. Even though people constantly underestimated him, Minhyuk was one of the smartest people Changkyun knew.

“Win,” Hyungwon said with a chuckle. 

The instructor spoke up again in his bored tone (it was obvious he wasn't getting paid enough for this), “Once the round starts you’ll have a 30 second grace period. Are you ready? Get set. Go!” The door opened and the rules were thrown out the window as everyone scrambled to set up their position. 

The red team, under Minhyuk's lead, made it to the second floor first. Calls of “its over, we have the high ground” could be heard ringing out. Changkyun thought he heard Kihyun’s voice somewhere in the mix. 

Changkyun followed Hoseok around the corner, his eyes scanning the area for any red lights. Seeing none, he trekked on trying to get to a better vantage point. At some point, Hoseok had turned a corner and split off from their group.  

Someone from the red team passed him; aiming at their back, Changkyu earned his first points. From there, everything turned into a blur. Changkyun stuck by Hyunwoo and together they worked their way through the first level, taking shots at any red light they could see. At one point they walked into a clump of the red team, miraculously escaping without being hit. 

Before he knew it, the round was over. Changkyun thought he had fared pretty well. He might have taken a lot of hits, but he also felt he did a fair amount of damage to the other team. Everyone emptied out of the arena and made their way over to where their scores were to be announced. 

As they neared the screen, they were able to see their placements already. Changkyun quickly located his name on the list - 8th out of 28.  _ Not bad _ , he thought. 

“Babe!” Changkyun heard Minhyuk before he saw him. Minhyuk took a running leap and threw himself on Kihyun’s back, nearly knocking the shorter man off his feet. “You did so good!” 

Sure enough, Changkyun found Kihyun’s name in first place followed closely by Hyunwoo in 5th. Suddenly he didn’t feel so accomplished. At least now he knew to not get on Kihyun’s bad side during the next game. 

“Kyun!” Changkyun heard Minhyuk’s voice ring out again and looked over to where he was dragging Kihyun over. “You did great too! Way better than me,” he laughed. He didn’t look particularly upset about his low ranking, Changkyun figured it had something to do with how Kihyun was currently holding his hand. 

That was the biggest thing Changkyun had noticed since the Incident. Kihyun and Minhyuk were super affectionate with each other. Minhyuk more so, but Kihyun never shut down any of his advances. Changkyun wasn’t sure how they had managed to hid it from him for so long. 

Although, he had always known Minhyuk was a very affectionate person in general, which explained why he was touchy with Changkyun. At least, that’s what Changkyun liked to tell himself to stay sane. 

He hadn’t seen Minhyuk’s name on the list yet, but Changkyun was sure he did just fine and made sure to tell the other man just that. 

“Good to know you’d support me no matter what, but I got 26th.”  
“Hey, that's an improvement from dead last,” Hyungwon said as the rest of the group finally made their way over. 

Minhyuk placed his hand over his heart and faked shocked, “Why must you always hurt me?”

“Be nice.” Hoseok shot Hyungwon a glare, which was not very convincing as Hoseok himself was holding in a laugh.

“That was obviously a compliment,” Hyungwon said. 

The instructor returned to hand out their scorecards and announced that the red team had been the winner of the round and not to forget that the next round was everyone for themselves. After a minute, everyone found themselves back in the briefing room before the second round.

“Wanna make an alliance?” Changkyun whispered to Kihyun. 

“Sure, just try to keep up,” Kihyun said, a smirk on his face.  

To be fair, Changkyun did try to keep up. He followed Kihyun up the ramp to the second level. They stopped at one of the corners and stood back to back, ready for anyone who dared approach them. 

Or so they thought. 

For several minutes they held their ground, picking off other players from above. At some point, the others must have decided they had enough and decided to band together and team up on Changkyun and Kihyun. They stormed up the stairs, Hyunwoo in the lead. 

“We gotta split up!” Kihyun yelled, already on the move. Changkyun stood there for another second, stunned. The buzz of his gun deactivating from being shot snapped him out of it and he took off down to the first level. 

Now that most people were up on the second level, the lower level was nearly empty. Changkyun moved at a slow jog, eyes darting back and forth in the darkness, on the lookout for any others. 

No more than three steps later his gun buzzed and was deactivated again - he had been shot. He thought he heard Minhyuk’s laugh ring out somewhere behind him. Whipping around Changkyun could see someone's lights duck behind a wall. Slowly he started creeping towards their direction, gun ready for his target to appear again.

One second he was tracking down Minhyuk and the next he was flat on his back, a sharp pain shooting through both his head and ankle. He wasn’t even entirely sure what had happened - everything had been too fast. 

“Are you okay?” Minhyuk asked from where he laid atop Changkyun, arms propped up on either sides keeping him from crushing the other. 

At the moment, Changkyun’s mind was blank except for the fact that Minhyuk was currently straddling him. All he could manage to focus on was where he could feel Minhyuk’s body pressing against his own, legs on either side of Changkyun’s hips. That and the pain radiating up his leg. 

“Y-yeah I’m fine,” he stuttered out.

“You didn’t hit your head, did you?” Minhyuk asked, a concerned look on his face. His gaze was too much for Changkyun and he quickly focused on the ceiling past Minhyuk’s head. When Changkyun didn’t reply, Minhyuk started to panic, “Oh my god,  _ did _ you get a concussion? What’s your name? Where are you? Wh-”

Changkyun laughed and tried to focus on the conversation. “I’m fine, Minhyuk.”

“Are you  _ sure _ ?”

“Yes, Minhyuk. I promise I don’t have a concussion. I didn’t even hit my head that hard.”

Minhyuk took the opportunity to brush back Changkyun’s bangs, as if checking his forehead for a fever or other injuries. Head still pounding, Changkyun closed his eyes, reveling in the moment. 

“Well I don’t see any blood, so that’s usually a good sign,” Minhyuk said matter-of-factly. As if realizing he was still hovering over the other, Minhyuk moved to sit beside Changkyun on the floor. Changkyun let out a sigh; although, he wasn’t sure if it was from relief or loss. “Are you able to keep playing?”

In all honestly, Changkyun wasn’t sure if he could stand at the moment, much less chase others around in the dark. He did though, pull himself up into a sitting position next to Minhyuk against the wall. “I landed on my ankle weird, it hurts a bit, but that’s all.”

“We can just sit here until it’s over if you want, I’ll stay with you,” Minhyuk offered. 

As much as he would enjoy that, Changkyun would feel bad if he was the reason that Minhyuk didn’t get to finish the game. “You don’t have to. I’ll be fine.”

Minhyuk shook his head. “If you aren’t even able to move, I’m not leaving you.” He shuffled closer until his side was pressed up against Changkyun, as if to further prove how serious he was.

“Thanks,” Changkyun said after a moment, allowing himself to relax into Minhyuk’s side. 

Thankfully, the round had already been almost over when the accident had happened, so they didn’t have to wait too long before the bell rang signalling the end of the match. Minhyuk stood up first, offering a hand to Changkyun. If that wasn’t enough, as soon as Changkun was upright again, Minhyuk wrapped one of his arms protectively around Changkyuns waist. 

“I can walk just fine, Minhyuk,” Changkyun muttered, embarrassed. He was thankful it was dark enough to mask the shade of red his face had turned. Minhyuk’s hand was hot where it sat on his hip. 

“Just in case. I wouldn't want you to fall and hurt yourself more,” Minhyuk argued, already leading them out to join everyone else. Hyunwoo was the first to spot them and shot Changkyun a concerned glance. He opened his mouth about to say something, but it was lost under Kihyun’s voice.

“Kyun! What happened?” Changkyun had never heard him this worried before (even the time when Minhyuk thought he accidently cut off his finger while trying to help Kihyun prepare dinner). Changkyun didn’t miss how Kihyun had just used his nickname for the first time that he could remember. 

Beside him, Minhyuk smiled and tightened his grip around Changkyun’s waist, the fact obviously not escaping him either. 

“I’m fine Kihyun. I just happened to literally run into Minhyuk,” Changkyun explained in an attempt to rid Kihyun’s face of his look of worry. 

“Are you hurt?” Kihyun rushed to his other side, already starting to do some kind of first aid pat-down to check for injuries, starting at his shoulders. 

“I said I’m fine.” It came out sounding harsher than Changkyun had intended, but with all of Kihyun’s fussing people were starting to look over and the last thing he wanted was to cause a scene. 

Kihyun didn’t seem to acknowledge or be bothered by his tone and instead removed his hands from Changkyun and looked to Minhyuk to confirm or deny what Changkyun was telling him. 

“He said his ankle hurt a bit, but he seems to be able to walk fine.”

“We should get you to a hospital.”

“I don’t- I’m fine, Kihyun,” Changkyun insisted. In attempts to prove himself, Changkyun stepped away from Minhyuk’s side and walked around in a small circle.  “Look I can walk normally,” he said, hoping his face didn’t give away the lingering pain in his ankle. Thankfully, it didn’t and Kihyun seemed to be satisfied, laying off his worried mother mode. 

 

Somehow, Changkyun found himself back at Minhyuk and Kihyun’s apartment. Kihyun had insisted that if he wouldn’t go to the hospital, Changkyun had to at least let him look it over at home. Too tired to argue, Changkyun had simply agreed. 

He was currently propped up on the couch, Minhyuk practically a leech on his side. They could hear Kihyun in the kitchen, rummaging around in the freezer to find an ice pack that Minhyuk swore he hadn’t thrown out. 

He returned with a plastic bag full of ice cubes, an exasperated look aimed at Minhyuk. “How did you manage to throw out our only ice pack?”

“Maybe we never had one,” Minhyuk argued. “Maybe it was just all a figment of your imagination.” 

Ignoring him, Kihyun looked over to Changkyun, “Which leg?”

“Oh, uh, the right one.” 

Before Changkyun was even able to prop his leg up on the coffee table, Kihyun was kneeling, in front of him, hands already on Changkyun’s ankle. He decidedly did  _ not _ think about how good Kihyun looked on his knees.  _ This crush  _ really _ needs to stop, _ Changkyun thought.

Hopefully his date later would help take his mind off of things. 

“Does this hurt?” Kihyun asked, poking around Changkyun’s ankle trying to find the best place to apply the ice. 

“No.”

Kihyun’s hand moved a bit lower and pressed again, “Here?”

Changkyun sucked in a breath and nodded. From beside him Minhyuk cooed, leaning more into Changkyun’s side. “Don’t hurt him, babe.”

“I’m trying to help,” Kihyun insisted. After making sure the ice was going to stay put where it was balanced, Kihyun sat up and joined them on the couch. Sitting beside Changkyun, he looked around the room, trying to figure out where the remote had ended up.

“How long is this going to take?” Changhyun asked.

Minhyuk shifted to lay his head on Changkyuns shoulder, wrapping his arms around Changkyun’s middle. His breath tickled Changkyun’s neck, giving him goosebumps. “Why? Are you in a rush?” 

Changkyun snuck a glance at Kihyun, trying to gage his reaction to Minhyuk being clingy. He didn’t seem to be paying much attention and when he looked over his expression didn’t change - it remained confused, the mystery of the remote still puzzling him. Changkyun took that as a good sign, plus he was secretly enjoying it too much to be able to tell Minhyuk to stop. “I should probably text Jooheon at least, he’ll be wondering why I’m not back yet.” Hesitating, Changkyun quietly added, “Also I sorta have…..plans tonight.”

That seemed to get Minhyuk’s attention. He perked up, facing Changkyun, a curious sparkle in his eyes. “Oh? What are you and Jooheon up to tonight?”

_ Not Jooheon. _ “Actually uh, it’s a date,” Changkyun mumbled. He really hadn’t been planning on telling them until it was over, but he couldn’t help but worry about being late if he was talked into staying any later.

Silence. “With Jooheon?” Minhyuk asked, almost cautiously. 

“No! No,” Changkyun said, waving his hands. “Jooheon set me up with one of his friends.” 

Minhyuk breathed out, “Oh.” 

“Have you met them before?” Kihyun asked, finally speaking up. He had given up searching for the remote and was fully focused on the conversation.

Changkyun shook his head, “No, it’s a blind date.”

“Fun,” Minhyuk said. 

Changkyun thought he imagined feeling Minhyuk’s arms tighten around him. He also couldn’t ignore the fact that Minhyuk had become uncharacteristically quiet. It wasn’t like him to just give one word answers. Perhaps wrongly, Changkyun has assumed they would be happy for him, although he was a bit confused as to why they weren’t. Wasn’t the usual reaction to your friend getting a date supposed to be a happy one?

“Are you excited?” Kihyun spoke up again. 

To be honest, Changkyun wasn’t looking forward to it. It had been ages since he had gone out on a date and he was scared of messing it up. He was scared he wouldn’t get along with his date, but Jooheon had insisted he wouldn’t pair up his best friend with someone if he didn’t think there was potential. 

Jooheon had only proposed it as a way to help move on from Minhyuk and Kihyun after finding out they were together. Knowing Changkyun wasn’t one for dates, especially blind ones, Jooheon was slightly shocked when Changkyun agreed right away, even if he had good reasoning behind it. 

Figuring it was the realistic thing to do, Changkyun had agreed quite easily. There was also the fact he could never refuse his best friend. 

“Yeah,” Changkyun lied. 

“Your ankle needs 10 more minutes, but after that you’re free to go.”

Minhyuk snorted, “What are you his doctor now?”

“Yes,” Kihyun answered. “He refused to go see a real one, so now I’m his stand-in.”

Now it was Changkyun’s turn to laugh, “Thanks for taking care of me doc.”

“Of course,” Kihyun said softly (and if Changkyun would have been looking, he would have seen the softness in Kihyun’s gaze too).

 

Jooheon was waiting on the couch when Changkyun arrived back home, the television blasting. “How’s your ankle?”

“I think it’s fine. Kihyun made me ice it for awhile. It’s not even swollen anymore.” Changkyu shuffled into the room and dropped down on the couch beside his friend. 

“What is he? Your mom?” Jooheon laughed. 

“Pretty much. He tends to go into mom mode sometimes,” Changkyun admitted. It was something he found endearing about Kihyun, he was always the prepared one in the group.

“That’s good, there are worse things to do than care. Ready for tonight?” Jooheon asked, changing the subject. Leaning forward, he grabbed the remote to turn down the volume slightly so he could hear Changkyun better. 

“Yeah, I just have to shower and change,” Changkyun said. Then more quietly he added, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Hey, you were the one that agreed pretty much immediately. Don’t be the asshole that backs out hours before the date.” 

Changkyun just sighed, knowing Jooheon was right. He trusted his best friend with his life, but the nerves wouldn’t let up and only got worse the more Changkyun thought about it. 

“If anything, it will be a good distraction,” Jooheon offered, his voice softer. 

“Yeah, I know.”

Jooheon sighed and reached up to run his hands through Changkyun’s hair. Immediately, Changkyun relaxed, a bit of the tension leaving his body. “I told you this would only end in disaster.”

“I didn’t mean to!” Changkyun argued. He really hadn’t; these things just happened. He hadn’t meant to get a crush on both of his friends, it’s just how things ended up. And now that they were together, he knew he had to move on. 

“I know.” Jooheon paused. “I just....I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Kyunnie,” Jooheon said. After another moment he added, “I hope you have fun tonight.”

“Yeah, me too.” Changyun realized that he really did mean it. He wanted to have a good time and hoped that maybe things could work out. The faster he could get over Minhyuk and Kihyun the better. 

“You should probably go get ready. I know it takes you forever, you soth,” Jooheon said cheerfully, a valid attempt to brighten the mood again. “He’ll be here to pick you up before you know it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Changkyun said dragging himself up from his spot on the couch and making his way down the hall. 

 

The date, to Changkyun’s misery, went perfectly. His date had showed up early and even went as far as opening the car door for Changkyun. He was charming, sweet, and easy to talk to. Dinner, almost surprisingly, wasn’t awkward at all and his date even insisted in paying the whole bill. Which, Changkyun tried to argue over (it wasn’t cheap), but ultimately lost when he got up to use the bathroom and his date asked for the bill in his absence. 

The arcade had been a blast. Changkyun hadn’t been since he was younger, but it was every bit as fun as he remembered. They faced off at the dance machine, Changkyun narrowly winning the match. Although he hadn’t been very good at sports in school, Changkyun managed to get over 100 with the basketball game. At the end of the night they piled their tickets together, earning the biggest stuffed animal they could, which his date insisted he take home. 

Everything had gone wonderfully, which is why Changkyun felt even guiltier for thinking about Minhyuk and Kihyun almost the entire time. 

He hadn’t meant to. It was supposed to be a night free from thoughts about them, it was supposed to be a night to himself, to focus on someone else, to helping himself move on. Instead, Changkyun realized just how deep his feelings really were. 

His feelings had turned into weeds, sprouting roots and planting themselves in his heart. No matter what he tried to get rid of them, they were constantly there, constantly growing. Even if he managed to get rid of them for a moment, they would only come back stronger than ever.

He couldn’t help but think how Minhyuk would have hated the fancy restaurant they went out to. Maybe not the food, since who could hate fancy food, but the semi-formal dress code was another story. And how his competitive streak would have shown itself at the arcade afterwards. He couldn’t help but think how Kihyun probably would have loved the restaurant (dress code and all) and would have been every bit as competitive at the arcade, trying to outdo his boyfriend in every game.

“Earth to Kyun.” Minhyuk’s voice snapped his out of his thoughts.  _ Right _ , he was supposed to be helping Minhyuk stock the front counter with fresh baked goods. Changkyun apologized and continued lining up the cookies. 

The new semester had started and although he no longer had class Mondays, Changkyun couldn’t shake the habit of his early morning visits to the cafe. Instead of just sitting around or leaving, he had offered Minhyuk a hand in setting up, which was gladly accepted. The cafe didn’t open for another 20 minutes and Chaeyoung had texted saying she would be running a bit late for her shift.  

“Something on your mind?” Minhyuk stopped arranging the display to give Changkyun his full attention. 

“Not really,” Changkyun said, unconvincingly. If there was one thing Changkyun knew Minhyuk excelled at, it was reading people. He always seemed to know when something was wrong or when he was being lied to. 

Minhyuk stepped closer to Changkyun, trapping him against the counter, his arms on either side, entrapping the shorter boy. He raised a hand to tilt Changkyun’s chin up so they were face to face. “You know you can tell me anything,” Minhyuk said, voice quiet and full of concern. “Did something happen on your date?” His eyes ran across Changkyun’s face as if searching for something. 

To be fair, it had been a couple days, but Changkyun had yet to tell them how his date went, so Minhyuk’s suspicion was understandable. He had been avoiding talking about it since he wasn’t fully sure on his feelings yet either. Although, Jooheon had weaseled the whole story out of him the day afterwards. He found Changkyun moping around the apartment and that was that. 

“No,” Changkyun replied, not able to make eye contact with Minhyuk. Quickly, Minhyuk backed up. He left Changkyun standing against the counter disappearing into the kitchen. A minute later, he returned with a steaming mug (of what Changkyun could see was hot chocolate) in his hand. With his free hand, Minhyuk grabbed one of Changkyun’s and lead him over to a table. 

“Sit.” Changkyun sat, accepting the hot chocolate when Minhyuk pressed it into his hands. Minhyuk sat down across him him. It reminded Changkyun of the night Kihyun had sat across from him and told Changkyun that he and Minhyuk were dating. Now Changkyun was on the side for confessing. “I don’t wanna pressure you, but you usually aren’t this distant...I’m worried. What’s wrong?”

Changyun wasn’t sure how, or what, to say. He wanted to tell Minhyuk, he trusted the man after all, and he had asked a seemingly innocent question, but Changkyun was more scared of not being able to stop talking once he started and saying something he might regret. 

“Changkyun, I care about you, you know-” Minhyuk began, not getting a chance to finish.

“The date was fine.” 

Taking the chance to continue the conversation, Minhyuk spoke up again, “What did you guys do?”

“He took me out to dinner at this really fancy restaurant and then we went to the arcade.”

“Sounds fun,” Minhyuk nodded. Changkyun could appreciate how he seemed to be careful with his wording, not wanting to cross any lines. 

“Yeah, it was.”  _ Which is why I feel so bad.  _

“Then why are you walking around looking like someone kicked your dog?” Minhyuk finally asked after another moment of silence. When Changkyun didn’t reply right away, Minhyuk stood up. “What did he do? What’s his name? I’ll find hi-”

“It’s not anything to do with him, Minhyuk,” Changkyun paused. He wanted to tell Minhyuk, he really did. “I just…,” he started before taking another breath, “feel bad because it went well, but I don’t think it’s gonna work out.”

“Why not?” Minhyuk prompted, his voice soft. 

“I think....I think I already have feelings for someone else.”  _ Someones technically _ , Changkyun thought, but couldn’t find the courage to say so. Although Minhyuk didn’t say anything immediately, Changkyun didn’t miss the way the tension seemed to drain from his body. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah...,” Changkyun said, hoping his face wasn’t as red as it felt. He wasn’t sure what else to say on the subject without giving it away and although he now knew where he stood with his feelings, he was not mentally prepared yet to admit it - especially out loud. 

Luckily, he was quite literally saved by the bell. The bell above the door rang as Chaeyoung burst through, clearly out of winded. 

“I’m so sorry, I couldn’t find my bus pass this morning so I had to walk - well, run - here,” she said between gasps of air, moving quickly to throw her bag behind the counter and grab her apron. She threw a small wave over to Changkyun when she noticed him sitting with Minhyuk.

Minhyuk just shot her his signature warm smile, telling her that it was no problem at all, she had made it just in time for opening. With one last glance, Minhyuk got up, leaving Changkyun alone with his hot chocolate and whirlwind of thoughts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter to go!! this fic has quickly become my baby and soon to be the first ever multichaptered fic i've finished...im real proud of it, it's made me get back into the habit of writing!
> 
> once again thank you all so, so much for the kudos, comments and bookmarks!! they mean so much to me, i always come back to read the comments whenever i need some extra motivation, they make me so happy. i find it crazy how much people have taken to this fic...i never expected this in my wildest dreams, so thank you <3


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